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Hello and welcome! I’m happy to be participating in the Heartbreaker Blog Hop. As someone who is a diehard romantic in real life, the month of February and, especially, Valentine’s Day are times I treasure. I think the latter was made for romance writers. We’re always dreaming up heroes who break hearts on the way to an HEA. What is it about these guys that attract us?

Almost 300 bloggers have giveaways and posts about those men we love! But that’s not all…

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

In addition, I’m doing a giveaway and will be awarding two copies of my time-travel/paranormal romance novel, WEATHERING ROCK, (Kindle or Nook copy, winner’s choice).

You can find a complete list of all the participating authors and bloggers here.

My lead character knows a thing or two about breaking hearts. My heroine, Arianna Hart, has a lot to overcome if she wants a future with the book’s hero, Caleb DeCardian. Not only is he from another century, a former colonel for the Union army during America’s Civil War, but he also turns into a werewolf every full moon. Two hurdles that definitely put a damper on a budding romance.

Blurb:Drawn together across centuries, will their love be strong enough to defeat an ancient curse?

Colonel Caleb DeCardian was fighting America’s Civil War on the side of the Union when a freak shower of ball lightning transported him to the present, along with rival and former friend, Seth Reilly. Adapting to the 21st century is hard enough for the colonel, but he also has to find Seth, who cursed him to life as a werewolf. The last thing on Caleb’s mind is romance. Then fetching Arianna Hart nearly runs him down with her car. He can’t deny his attraction to the outspoken schoolteacher, but knows he should forget her.

Arianna finds Caleb bewildering, yet intriguing: courtly manners, smoldering sensuality and eyes that glow silver at night? When she sees Civil War photographs featuring a Union officer who looks exactly like Caleb, she begins to understand the man she is falling in love with harbors multiple secrets–some of which threaten the possibility of their happiness.

Finding a decent guy who’ll commit is hard enough. How can she expect Caleb to forsake his own century to be with her?

Excerpt:That strange luminescent glow glinted on the surface of his eyes, flaring pure silver when he looked at her. “I was studying the moon.”

She wasn’t certain she wanted to venture in that direction. Moonlight and a handsome man were a notoriously fatal combination. “I’ve always thought full moons were magical.”

He gave a skeptical snort. “It’s not full, it only looks that way. It’s already started to wane. You just can’t tell by the naked eye.” He tugged at his collar. Sweat clung to his cheeks, prompting him to thumb open another button on his shirt.

The inky material gaped on his chest. A traitorous part of her mind wondered what it would be like to free the remaining buttons. She could almost feel the heated touch of his flesh beneath her fingertips as she slowly worked her way to his waist.

Disturbed, she jerked her hand from his. A hot flush crept up her neck.

“You can tell the difference?” She shot a doubtful glance at the moon. It made her think of long-ago legends: fairy glades, nameless winged creatures and werewolves.

“The moon and I are well acquainted.”

He leaned into the banister, his leg casually brushing hers. She tensed at the informal contact, surprised when it streaked through her like a bolt of lightning. Weak-kneed and stunned, she tried to retreat.

“Annie, don’t go–” Caleb caught her hand.

“Don’t call me that.”

“It suits you.” Towering over her, he stepped closer, his eyes mirroring the smoky blue of the night-dusted sky. “I think we were supposed to meet.” His voice grew low and husky, sending a shivery chill up her spine.

She wet her lips, trying to retain her composure. It was impossible to think straight when he stood so near, his presence engulfing her in a sizzling wall of heat.

“Caleb…”

He bent closer and threaded his hand into her hair, his fingertips lightly pressing her scalp. A dizzying shiver of sensation cascaded through her. She barely had time to register the feeling before his mouth closed over hers, possessive and eager, leaving her breathless.

To enter my giveaway, and to be entered for the grand prizes during the hop, comment below WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. Moderation is on, so if your comment doesn’t appear immediately, don’t be alarmed. I promise it will show up. At the end of the hop, I will draw two winners through random.org and announce the results on my blog.

And, although I’m not making it mandatory, I’d really appreciate a “like” on my Facebook Author Page, and I invite you to sign up to follow my blog by email should you feel inclined 🙂

Would you give a guy who broke your heart a second chance or would you write him off as yesterday’s bad news?

It’s Saturday, always a fun day to do something different. I’m packing up WEATHERING ROCK, Caleb and Arianna, and we’re jaunting over to the Rom Con blog for a visit. Rom Con is a great place to hang out and an even better place to discover new reads and authors.

I’m excited because I get to share a bit about my own book and characters. It wonderful of the Rom Con folks to feature me. I haven’t gone visiting in a while, so I’m looking forward to the change of scenery. Drop by if you get a chance to see what I’m chatting about.

I’ve had some fun stuff going on this week, including a new 5-Star review of WEATHERING ROCK by Dii of Tome Tender. These always get me seriously jazzed and this one was no different. Dii had some lovely things to say about the story and my characters that left me floating on cloud 9 (yeah, that cloud). You can find the complete review here.

I also finished the final round of content edits on TWELFTH SUN, my contemporary mystery/romance releasing in August. It was great to visit with Elijah and Reagan from Twelfth again. I forgot how much fun they were. Wait until you see what those two get up to! 😀

I also managed a new chapter on my current WIP, THE MYSTERY OF ECLIPSE LAKE starring Dane Carlisle and Ellie Sullivan. With all of these characters vying for attention in my head, I ended up with a virtual party. Mixed together, I entertained a Civil War Colonel, photojournalist, marine archeologist, interior decorator, an ex-con and a history teacher. Quite a potpourri of imaginative friends. And then there’s Jesse, Dane’s highly opinionated seventeen-year-old kid who would probably give even the colonel a thing or two to digest. Actually, there’s no ‘probably’ about it. 😀

But we won’t go there. For this post, I want to talk about Gettysburg and Caleb, my hunky werewolfy colonel from WEATHERING ROCK.

Caleb is originally from the 1800s and fought in the battle of Gettysburg on the side of the Union Army. I’m fortunate that Gettysburg is only about a forty-five minute trek from where I live. As a child, I visited the battlefield several times during field trips, then pretty much forgot about it until many years later when I rediscovered history as an adult. Since then, my husband and I have been there many times.

The Pennsylvania Monument at Gettysburg. Notice the person standing on the upper level to the right of the dome.

In WEATHERING ROCK, I mention the Pennsylvania Monument. For those of you who have never been to Gettysburg, it really is the largest and most impressive monument on the battlefield. During one of the visits my husband and I made, we happened to hit the monument at the same time as a busload of junior high school kids. I remember walking up the steps (it’s raised and has two stories) as a young girl came racing down. She must have been the tattler in the group because she immediately rushed up to a woman (who I guessed was the teacher) and breathlessly informed her two of the boys were spitting off the upper level, betting on who could hit someone below.Hubby and I had a good laugh over the whole thing (although not in front of the woman). When I wrote about Caleb and Arianna visiting the Pennsylvania Monument—along with several of Arianna’s schoolchildren—I used the ‘spitting scenario’ at the Pennsylvania Monument. It was too good to resist. But I also had some fun with the kids earlier in the story. Here’s a snippet from their bus trip with Caleb and Arianna:

“Ms. Hart, when are we going to stop for lunch?” Beth Regal asked, joined in a chorus of whiney fidgeting by Lisa and Trudy.

“Soon,” Arianna promised. There was a picnic area a short distance down the road. After that, she could let everyone burn off excess energy by hiking up Little Round Top. “I hope everyone packed a good lunch. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m hungry.”

“Don’t say ain’t, Danny,” Arianna corrected. “And I think you need more than a Slim Jim for lunch.” `

Caleb looked puzzled. “It’s got to be better than hardtack.”

“What’s that?” Scott Albright asked.

“A type of food soldiers ate during the Civil War. It was made of flour, water and salt. Sort of like a hard cracker. Not very appetizing, especially when weevils laid their larvae inside. Most of the men took to calling them ‘worm castles.’”

“Ewww!” Trudy proclaimed.

Caleb chuckled. “If you think that’s bad…” And he went on to relay how as the war progressed and times grew worse–especially in the South where hardships were more severe–people were sometimes reduced to eating things like snakes, rats, locusts, cats and dogs. The girls shrilled their revulsion while the boys found this new information worthy of intense examination.

“You mean like real rats?” Danny was incredulous.

“You could buy a dressed one in a butcher shop in some cities for about two dollars and fifty cents,” Caleb confirmed.

Arianna shook her head. “Caleb. You could have picked a better topic before lunch.” But she couldn’t stop smiling at how animated the group had become, the boys exuberantly discussing rats hanging in shop windows, the girls indignant that anyone would consider eating a cat or a dog. Somehow, despite the subject matter, everyone managed to down a sandwich when they stopped at a shaded picnic area.

~ooOOoo~

As someone who’s hiked Little Round Top numerous times and stopped for a sandwich at some of Gettysburg’s shaded picnic areas, I can tell you it takes more than a few hours to observe. You can take it in by horseback if you prefer and there are plenty of bike trails. Because the park is so large we usually drive it, stopping here and there for short hikes. I haven’t been back since they redid the visitor’s center, but will probably make a trip this summer. If I’m lucky, I might even run into a blond-haired colonel from the 1800s, a harried school teacher, and a group of kids discussing rats and Slim Jims (although I’d be more than happy to settle for the colonel).

I’ve lost track of the historical sites I’ve visited over the years. How about you? Have you ever been to Gettysburg? If not, where else have you been that the ghosts of history still linger?

Happy New Year and welcome to the second annual New Year’s Blog Hop! Can you believe another year has passed?

Well we authors, readers, and bloggers sure can’t. And to celebrate the New Year with a bang, we’re going crazy and sending out so many prizes, fun parties, experiences, and other goodies, that it’s a bit scary. Each author has a favorite New Year memory, book, idea, or way to party and we’re going to show you!

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger. For a complete list of participating authors and bloggers and the giveaways they’re offering, click here.

But that’s not all….

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes? Check these out:

Here, ON THE PEN OF MAE CLAIR, I am giving TWO prizes to ONE lucky winner:

The New Year has officially arrived, and ushered in a horizon of possibilities. Each January most of us start fresh with a brand new set of goals and, usually, several resolutions (we don’t always end up keeping). I have two this year: hop back on the exercise bandwagon and publish two new titles. My husband and I were fairly strong P90Xers several years ago but age and the daily routine of life gradually crowded out the time we’d reserved for that. Feeble excuse, yes, I know.

Daily workouts dwindled to sporadic exercise to ‘ugh-maybe-I’ll-tackle-the-health-thing-tomorrow.’ Well, part of getting older is realizing the ‘health thing’ (which includes exercise) has to become a priority. So it’s back to P90X for us (albeit slowly at first as our bodies readjust).

As for the other goal, I have a novel releasing in August through Lyrical Press called TWELFTH SUN. A contemporary romance, it revolves around an older woman, a younger man, and a treasure hunt for a marine artifact. The other title I hope to finish and have under contract (or indie pub) is a mystery/romance with a strong emphasis on family relationships, called THE SECRET OF ECLIPSE LAKE. That one involves an unsolved murder, a free-spirited photographer, and an ex-con (now a successful businessman) who returns to his hometown fifteen years after cutting all ties with his family. My plan is to pull off both of these before 2013 rolls to a close. As a writer, I’m finding goals are good to have.

Case in point: 2012 saw the publication of my debut novel, WEATHERING ROCK a novel of romantic suspense, interwoven with elements of time travel and the paranormal. Publication was a goal I’d set for myself at the start of 2012 and one I succeeded in achieving (yay, me! :)) Check out the blurb:

Drawn together across centuries, will their love be strong enough to defeat an ancient curse?

Colonel Caleb DeCardian was fighting America’s Civil War on the side of the Union when a freak shower of ball lightning transported him to the present, along with rival and former friend, Seth Reilly. Adapting to the 21st century is hard enough for the colonel, but he also has to find Seth, who cursed him to life as a werewolf. The last thing on Caleb’s mind is romance. Then fetching Arianna Hart nearly runs him down with her car. He can’t deny his attraction to the outspoken schoolteacher, but knows he should forget her.

Arianna finds Caleb bewildering, yet intriguing: courtly manners, smoldering sensuality and eyes that glow silver at night? When she sees Civil War photographs featuring a Union officer who looks exactly like Caleb, she begins to understand the man she is falling in love with harbors multiple secrets–some of which threaten the possibility of their happiness.

Finding a decent guy who’ll commit is hard enough. How can she expect Caleb to forsake his own century to be with her?

I’m happy to award an ebook copy (Kindle or Nook) to one winner along with a $15 gift card to Amazon or B&N. Comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS to be eligible for the grand prizes being offered. Tell me the one thing you’d most like to accomplish in 2013 (it doesn’t have to be a resolution). Use the Rafflecopter link below for more ways to win the prizes on my blog.

When you comment, don’t panic if it doesn’t appear immediately. Comment moderation is on, but I promise your comment won’t get lost and will materialize as soon as I check in. 🙂

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderfully Merry Christmas with many blessings, family, friends and good cheer. Today is the launch of my post-Christmas WEATHERING ROCK blog tour. Please join me, Caleb and Arianna as we roam the blogosphere from 12/26 to 1/2 to ring in a New Year!

So, here it is almost two full weeks since L.J. Kentowski tagged me in the Next Big Thing Blog Hop, and I’ve had the distinct honor of being tagged again by Sheri de Grom. If you don’t know Sheri, I suggest you hasten over to her blog pronto and become acquainted. Not only is she a writer and reviewer of women’s fiction, but she is also an advocate for mental health, Medicare reform and Veteran’s rights. In addition, she’s one of the most candid and giving people I’ve met online. Thank you, Sheri for the nomination.

Just to refresh everyone’s memory about the NBT hop, writers answer a series of questions related to their current WIP, then tag five other authors to join the hop. On the 28th of November, I shared information on the mystery/romance on which I’ve furiously been working called ECLIPSE LAKE. At the same time, I’m also working on the sequel to WEATHERING ROCK, Book 2 of the DeCardian Family Chronicles. Are you interested in learning more? I hope so! Here ’tis:

What is the working title of your book?BLUE ENCHANTMENT, although that may change.

Where did the idea of the book come from?
It’s the second in a three-book series once again utilizing paranormal and romantic elements. In my debut novel WEATHERING ROCK, Winston (Wyn) DeCardian is a secondary character, but I felt he deserved his own book. I inserted a few references about his past and childhood in WEATHERING ROCK that I intend to flesh out in BLUE ENCHANTMENT. And, of course, I wanted to give him a romance with an HEA all his own. I’ve employed time-travel again, though the gap this time, is relatively small.

What genre does your book fall under?
The same as WEATHERING ROCK, paranormal / time-travel romantic suspense.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in movie renditions?
Wyn is easy. I’ve always imagined him as Jim Caviezel the way Jim looked at the end of the Count of Monte Cristo (when he was clean-shaven). Oh yeah, that’s definitely my Wyn! 😀

As for Calliope LeMay, my heroine, I don’t have anyone set in mind. The same with my villain Sol Quinlan. He’s still taking shape in my head and Callie’s looks are a bit unusual – – red hair and lavender eyes.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
Wyn DeCardian meets a woman with a score to settle, who lived thirty years in the past and who may be tied to the mysterious explosion that resulted in his father’s death when he was two.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’m hoping it will be picked up by Lyrical Press, the publisher for WEATHERING ROCK.

How long did it take you to finish the first draft of your project?
I’m still in the writing process right now and, at this point, am only about a quarter of the way into the story.

What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
Um . . . well, I’d have to say WEATHERING ROCK since it employs many of the same elements (time-travel, romance and paranormal or fantasy elements) and some of the same characters.

Who or what inspired you to write this story?
I wanted to do something that referenced the blue-skinned people of Kentucky. I’m known for my love of myth and legend but, the Blue People of Kentucky actually exist. Their unusual pigmentation is caused by a blood disorder first introduced by a man named Martin Fugate in the early 1800s. I can’t explain how that factors into the story but it does. From the moment I stumbled over a Yahoo newsfeed about it several years ago, I knew I wanted to implement it in a book.

What else about your book may pique readers’ interest?For anyone who’s read WEATHERING ROCK they know that Wyn is a doctor. My heroine, Calliope LeMay is a gifted healer with magical talent. Naturally, science and magic are going to clash, right along with Wyn and Callie. Caleb and Arianna are also back for brief appearances, along with Lauren Talbot and Lucas Drake.

So there you have it—the low down on another project I have in the hopper. Thanks again to Sheri de Grom for nominating me and now I’d like to nominate the following authors:

It’s time to wing off to a new destination! Take flight with me as I flutter over to Joanne Stewart’s blog to share some thoughts about family, along with a brand new excerpt from WEATHERING ROCK.

Caleb DeCardian has a candid conversation with his descendent, Wyn, about his growing attraction for Arianna Hart. It’s up to Wyn to impart wisdom as only a man living with a Civil War ancestor can do.

In other news, I’ve updated the schedule for my blog with a list of upcoming guests, events and giveaways. You can find it here or by clicking the link for Blog Schedule in the black bar at the top. Lots of fun stuff and cool guests are on the horizon. Don’t miss them! 😀

Welcome to Tuesday. I invite you mosey on over to Calisa Rhose’s blog ranch today where I’m pondering my attachment to old homes and talking about WEATHERING ROCK. Calisa just remodeled the ranch and it’s gorgeous! I’m honored to be her first guest in the new digs so, hitch a ride and amble on over.

Take a hop with me down under, to the lovely enchanted land of New Zealand. My Lyrical Press sister, Joanne Wadsworth, is interviewing me on her blog today. She came up with some great questions that I had a blast answering.

So grab a cuppa, embrace your inner kiwi, and rattle your dags (that’s hurry up . . . I think) and hop over to Joanne’s blog.

Wow! You’re packed already?

I guess rattling the dags did the trick, huh? Well before you nick away (like my kiwi slang?) I want to share a Mythical Monday meandering in honor of my New Zealand blog destination. Take a peek at what I’ve dug up:

The city of Wellington is the home of Peter Jackson’s Weta Workshop. It’s also home to St. James Theatre, a reputedly haunted destination, inhabited by several resident ghosts.

Yuri appears to be the most popular. According to legend, this ill-fated Russian performer either fell to his death from several meters above the stage or was pushed by a female performer. Hmm . . . a slighted lover perhaps? However his untimely demise, Yuri seems to be more mischievous than harmful. He’s been known to turn lights on and off and, on another occasion, even saved a theater worker from harm when he nearly fell into the orchestra pit. That’s the kind of spirit you want to have around!

The ‘Wailing Woman’ is an actress, who had the traumatic experience of being booed from the stage. Devastated by the audience’s reaction to her performance, she took her life by slitting her wrists. Her ghost now roams the theater sobbing and wailing over her tragic fate.

If that isn’t enough, there is an entire boys’ choir often heard singing. The choir gave its last performance during World War II before sailing off on tour. Sadly, their ship was never heard from again and all are believed to have drowned. Many stage workers have reported hearing the choir sing, only to have that sound move further away when they approach.

Although it has never been proven, some believe St. James Theatre was constructed on a burial ground, hence the reason so many departed spirits roam its halls and passages. Initially, a church, it was purchased by entertainer John Fuller in December 1899. I always experience a small shiver whenever I see a significant event occur near the turn of a century. St. James had its share of fame, fell into neglect, was demolished, and rebuilt.

And still the ghosts remain.

In 2005, paranormal investigators from the New Zealand television show, Ghost Hunt, ventured into St. James Theatre and captured numerous orbs on photographs.

So, if you happen to find yourself in Wellington enjoying the scenery of Middle Earth, remember it may not just be hobbits and orcs wandering the countryside! I’d rather run into Frodo Baggins than the Wailing Woman any day. What about you?

I’m pleased to announce the winners from my Howloween Hop giveaway. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did, and that you’re all safe and dry now that the worst of Superstorm Sandy seems to be behind us. I know many areas are still without power, battling cleanup or buried under snow. Talk about a Halloween Trick! Wow! At least I can offer some treats:

The winner of my $15.00 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble is:Shadow

The winner of my novel WEATHERING ROCK for Kindle or Nook is:throuthehaze

Winners, please be on the lookout for an email from me telling you how to claim your prizes.

At this point, I’d also like to invite you to ride along with me as I hop over to Trish Jackson’s blog haunt, Romance Ramble, where I’ll be blabbing about WEATHERING ROCK, Caleb and Arianna again.

We’ll catch a ride with the hunky, courtly colonel on his horse, Ranger. Who could resist that? 😉